What we covered
• Zelensky’s visit: President Donald Trump says negotiators are getting “closer” to a Ukraine peace deal after he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at his Florida resort today, though he acknowledged that “thorny issues” remain and declined to provide a concrete timeline for when they might be resolved.
• Next steps: Any deal would need buy-in from Russian President Vladimir Putin, who spoke with Trump by phone today and is expected to hold another call with him. US and Ukrainian teams could meet again as early as next week to finalize remaining points in the peace plan, Zelensky said.
• Massive Russian attack: The latest flurry of US diplomacy comes shortly after Russia launched the year’s longest sustained assault on Kyiv, killing at least two people, wounding dozens and leaving many without residential heating amid freezing temperatures in the Ukrainian capital.
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Trump and Zelensky appear confident, but no major breakthroughs in Ukraine peace talks
President Donald Trump, while voicing confidence at the state of peace discussions on the Ukraine war, underscored the talks remain highly complex and declined to provide a firm timeline for when they may be resolved, following a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. CNN’s Kevin Liptak reports in West Palm Beach, Florida.
President Donald Trump, while voicing confidence at the state of peace discussions, underscored the talks remain highly complex and declined to provide a firm timeline for when they may be resolved. CNN's Kevin Liptak reports in West Palm Beach, Florida
Here are the takeaways from Trump and Zelensky's meeting today
After more than three hours of talks today, neither Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky nor his US counterpart, Donald Trump, announced any major breakthroughs in the effort to end the conflict started by Russia. Both emphasized the process was complicated and would take more time.
Yet unlike some previous meetings, Trump praised Zelensky and remained confident that peace was near.
Here are the takeaways from their meeting in Palm Beach, Florida, today:
War either ends or goes on indefinitely: Trump insisted he had no deadline in mind for ending the Ukraine war, but he also seemed to suggest that now was the ripest time to finally end the conflict.
Putin absent but not forgotten: Russian President Vladimir Putin did not travel to Palm Beach. But Trump spoke to the Russian leader for more than an hour on the phone before the talks with Zelensky began. Trump also said he would speak with Putin again after his meeting with Zelensky.
The last 10%: Heading into the meeting, Zelensky said 90% of the terms of the peace plan had been agreed to. Afterward, Zelensky used the same figure, though Trump said he didn’t like using percentages. The main sticking points include the fate of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant and the questions of land concession.
Complicated relationship: Since their first, disastrous meeting in February, each meeting between Trump and Zelensky during Trump’s second term has been closely watched for its tone. Upon greeting Zelensky at his Palm Beach estate, Trump offered praise, and Zelensky began and concluded his remarks by saying thank you to Trump.
US and Ukrainian officials could meet again as early as next week, Zelensky says
The Ukrainian and US teams could meet “as early as next week” to finalize the remaining points in the peace plan, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on X after meeting today with US President Donald Trump.
Zelensky said they agreed that Trump would host Ukrainian and European leaders in Washington in January.
“We discussed all the aspects of the peace framework and achieved significant results. We also discussed the sequence of further actions,” he wrote.
Trump and Zelensky also agreed that “security guarantees are key on the path to achieving a lasting peace,” the Ukrainian leader said.
Trump and Zelensky are done meeting for the day. Here's what they told reporters.
If you’re just checking in, here’s a quick recap of the comments from US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky after their meeting today at the Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
• Negotiators made progress, but deal could still fall apart: Trump, while voicing confidence in the state of peace discussions, underscored that talks remain highly complex. He declined to provide a firm timeline for when some “thorny issues” may be resolved and said unexpected obstacles could still arise and stymie the entire effort.
• The question of territory remains outstanding: Trump acknowledged uncertainty around the fate of Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region. Zelensky reiterated his position that the people of Ukraine will ultimately have to answer the question. He noted that a referendum could be used for any point of the peace plan — not just territory. He also left open the possibility of parliamentary involvement.
• Where officials go from here: US, Ukrainian and European teams will continue meeting over the coming weeks, potentially in Washington, Trump said. He’s also expected to hold another call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who would need to sign on to the terms of any potential peace deal.
CNN’s Kevin Liptak and Donald Judd contributed reporting to this post from West Palm Beach, Florida.
Trump repeatedly bemoans "Russia, Russia, Russia hoax"
President Donald Trump repeatedly raised the investigation into Russian election meddling during his remarks to reporters today, saying it had bonded him with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“We went through the Russia, Russia, Russia hoax together,” Trump said, referring to the investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
“I got along with him very well, despite the Russia, Russia, Russia hoax, which was a total hoax,” he added later.
Trump has said before he had hoped his relationship with Putin would make brokering a peace in Ukraine easy.
Some context: Trump and his allies have spent years trying to denigrate all aspects of the Russia investigation, which consumed much of the first two years of the president’s first term.
While there was not enough evidence for special counsel Robert Mueller to conclude there was collusion between Trump’s campaign and Russians, Moscow actively tried to help Trump win, according to US intelligence assessments, which the president now dismisses as the “Russia hoax.”
The question of Ukrainian territory remains a difficult factor in ending the war, Zelensky says
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky underscored after his meeting with US President Donald Trump that the question of territory remains difficult.
“You know our position,” he told reporters at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. “We have to respect our law and our people. We respect the territory which we control.”
Zelensky reiterated his position that the question of territory will ultimately have to be answered by the people of Ukraine, and he noted that a referendum could be used for any point of the peace plan — not just territory. He also left open the possibility of parliamentary involvement.
“We can have referendum on any kind of points of this plan,” he said. “Of course, our society has to choose,” and Ukrainians are the ones who have to vote, “because it’s their land, the land, not of one person. It’s the land of our nation for a lot of generations.”
Apart from that, Zelensky said, the two leaders discussed “all aspects” of the 20-point peace plan.
While overall, 90% of the plan has achieved agreement, he said the United States and Ukraine have agreed 100% on security guarantees and the military dimension.
“We agree that security guarantees is a key milestone in achieving lasting peace,” Zelensky said.
Zelensky began and concluded his remarks by saying thank you to Trump, which is notable given that the US president and Vice President JD Vance berated him in February for not being thankful to the American leaders for their role in the mediation.
Trump leaves door open to traveling to Ukraine if it helps secure peace deal
President Donald Trump left the door open to traveling to Ukraine and speaking to the country’s parliament if it helped secure a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine, though he suggested that such a trip was unlikely.
“You know, I have no problem with” traveling to Ukraine,” he told reporters at Mar-a-Lago while standing alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. “We don’t anticipate it. I would like to get the deal done and not necessarily have to go.”
“I’ve offered to go and speak to their parliament, and you know, if that would help, I don’t know that would help … but I don’t even know if that’s welcome,” he added.
“You are welcome,” Zelensky assured Trump.
Ukraine’s constitution does not permit the country to cede territory via a parliamentary vote — it must be approved via voter referendum.
Trump, while confident, underscores that talks remain complex and could fall apart
President Donald Trump, while voicing confidence at the state of peace discussions, underscored the talks remain highly complex and declined to provide a firm timeline for when they may be resolved.
“In a few weeks, we will know one way or the other, I think,” he told reporters while standing alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Florida.
He said there could be unexpected issues that arise that stymie the entire effort.
“We could have something where one item that you’re not thinking about is a big item, breaks it up. Look, it’s been a very difficult negotiation,” he said.
Trump says "one or two very thorny issues" remain in peace talks
President Donald Trump, saying he believes a peace agreement is “close” for Ukraine, described “one or two very thorny issues” that remain.
He declined to put a percentage on terms that had been agreed, but said it could be close to 95%.
He acknowledged the fate of the eastern Donbas region, which Russia has demanded Ukraine surrender, remained an outstanding issue.
“We’re getting closer to an agreement on that. And that’s a big issue,” he told reporters in a joint appearance with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. “Certainly, that’s one of the big issues, and I think we’re closer.”
Some context: The US has suggested creating a “free economic zone” in parts of the Donbas region from which Ukraine would withdraw under a negotiated peace with Russia.
Russia has been fighting in the Donbas region, which spans the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, since 2014. Moscow is now trying to secure through US-mediated peace negotiations what it has been unable to win through force of arms.
Trump describes "excellent" meeting with Zelensky
US President Donald Trump described his meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, as “excellent” after almost three hours of talks.
“We had a terrific meeting. We discussed a lot of things,” Trump said in a joint appearance with Zelensky at Mar-a-Lago.
“I do think we’re getting a lot closer, maybe very close,” Trump said, adding that “we have made a lot of progress on ending that war.”
Trump and Zelensky speak to reporters after their meeting
US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian Volodymyr Zelensky are talking to reporters now following their meeting at Mar-a-Lago in South Florida.
Follow along here for updates.
Trump and Zelensky finish conversation with EU leaders
A conversation among Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, US President Donald Trump and European leaders is now over, the Ukrainian presidency said today.
Zelensky and Trump spoke to the leaders in a phone call as the two presidents met in Florida to discuss the latest peace proposal for Ukraine.
The call lasted over an hour, and the leaders discussed “concrete steps” to end the war, Finnish President Alexander Stubb wrote in a post on X.
Participants on the call included the leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Norway, as well as the NATO secretary general and the president of the European Commission, Stubb wrote.
“We are all working towards a just and lasting peace,” Stubb said.
“There was good progress, which we welcomed,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said later in a post on X. “Europe is ready to keep working with Ukraine and our US partners to consolidate this progress.
Paramount to this effort is to have ironclad security guarantees from day one.”
Britain is committed “to working closely with partners to sustain momentum in the coming days,” the office of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said after the conference call. European leaders commended Trump during the call “for the progress achieved so far” and “reaffirmed the urgency of ending this barbaric war as soon as possible,” a Downing Street spokesman said in a statement.
French President Emmanuel Macron posted on X: “We are making progress on the security guarantees” essential for peace in Ukraine. “We will bring together the countries of the Coalition of the Willing in Paris in early January to finalize each country’s concrete contributions.”
CNN’s Svitlana Vlasova and Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this post.
Russian attacks on Ukraine continued today despite high-level peace talks
As we await more news from US President Donald Trump’s meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Florida, we’re also tracking developments on the ground in Ukraine, where residents have not seen any relief from Moscow’s onslaught.
Russian attacks continued today despite the high-stakes talks in the US.
In the eastern city of Sloviansk, bombing killed at least one person and injured several others, according to Vadym Lyakh, a city official. Meanwhile, shelling in the city of Kherson wounded at least 10 civilians, according to the region’s prosecutor’s office.
This comes as Kyiv reels from the year’s longest sustained assault on the Ukrainian capital. Russia unleashed hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles on the city and surrounding communities overnight Friday into Saturday, according to the Ukrainian air force.
The primary wave of attacks lasted 10 hours and killed at least two people, while at least 44 others were hurt, local officials said.
The assault primarily targeted energy and civilian infrastructure in the capital, according to Zelensky. It left many residents without heating during the city’s frigid winter.
Big picture: While Trump touted a “productive” call with Russian President Vladimir Putin today and told reporters before his meeting with Zelensky that peace negotiations are nearing their final stages, any potential deal would need buy-in from Putin.
It’s not yet clear whether he’ll be willing to end the nearly four-year conflict, as Russia’s attacks on the country continue unabated.
CNN’s Christian Edwards, Svitlana Vlasova, Laura Sharman and Victoria Butenko contributed to this report.
Various Trump administration officials present for talks at Mar-a-Lago
Various administration officials and allies flanked President Donald Trump as the US and Ukrainian delegations sat down for talks at Mar-a-Lago.
In attendance were Trump’s foreign envoy Steve Witkoff, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine, White House deputy chief of staff for policy Stephen Miller, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and Josh Gruenbaum, commissioner of the Federal Acquisition Service at the General Services Administration, who was present at talks with Russian officials last week.
Reporters were told to leave shortly before the meeting began.
“We have the makings of a deal,” Trump says ahead of Mar-a-Lago meeting with Zelensky
President Donald Trump welcomed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to his Mar-a-Lago home in Palm Beach, Florida, this afternoon, telling reporters he believes both that Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin want to make a peace deal.
Pressed on whether he believes Putin is serious about peace, Trump told CNN, “I do — I think he is. I think they both are.”
But asked whether today’s meeting will lead to a deal, Trump was more equivocal.
“It depends. I do believe we have the makings of a deal,” he said. The Russia-Ukraine conflict has proved “difficult” to solve, he added, but “we’re going to get it done; we’re going to have a great meeting today.”
Trump declined to weigh in on whether he expects a deal before the end of the year. “I don’t have deadlines,” he said. “You know what my deadline is? Getting the war ended.”
Pressed on Russia’s continued aerial bombardment of Ukraine, Trump suggested Putin was still serious about pursuing an end to the war, pointing out Ukraine had carried out its own attacks on Russia.
Putin is “very serious, I think I can say that,” he told reporters. “I believe Ukraine has made some very strong attacks also, and I don’t say that negatively. I think you probably have to.”
Trump also confirmed he planned to speak again today with the Russian president following the conclusion of his talks with Zelensky. The two spoke earlier ahead of the Ukraine-US meeting.
Trump is in host mode at Mar-a-Lago
As President Donald Trump sat down for lunch with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, it was evident he was in hosting mode, asking assembled reporters if they wanted lunch and telling them he’d shut Mar-a-Lago’s main building down for the meeting.
It could signal a more casual atmosphere for today’s talks, which are taking place in the ornate dining room at Trump’s club rather than the Oval Office. The frescoed walls and molding are designed after the Chigi Palace in Rome.
Trump hosted many world leaders at Mar-a-Lago during his first term, including Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Those meetings were colored by more personal moments, including dinners and golf. Trump and Zelensky, however, have a more fraught relationship, though the US president did praise the Ukrainian leader as he was arriving.
“This gentleman has worked very hard, and he’s very brave, and his people are very brave. What they’ve gone through, no nation, very rarely has a nation ever had it go through this,” he said.
Polish prime minister wishes "good luck" to Zelensky as meeting with Trump begins
In a brief post on X, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk wished “good luck” to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as he began his meeting today with US President Donald Trump.
Zelensky says sequencing and strategy in the 20-point peace plan are important
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said negotiations between Washington and Kyiv moved forward last month, and that he hopes peace can be achieved as soon as possible.
Ahead of a bilateral meeting with US President Donald Trump at the Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, Zelensky said the focus will be on the 20-point peace plan and the sequencing of a settlement.
“It’s very important our teams talk about strategy — how to make step-by-step, and to bring peace closer,” he told reporters.
About 90% of the plan has been discussed by the teams, he added.
Zelensky arrives at Mar-a-Lago for talks with Trump
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has arrived at US President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, for high-stakes peace talks. The Ukrainian leader pulled into the club and greeted Trump with a handshake before entering the Mediterranean-style estate.
Trump said earlier their talks would take place in Mar-a-Lago’s dining room, an ornate space with molding and murals.
